Providing perspective on the economics and politics of sports business in Florida...and the Rays' campaign for a new stadium in Tampa Bay.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

St. Pete Faces Stadium Complaints...From Rowdies

Christopher O’Donnell reports in this morning's Tampa Tribune the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who play their home games in Downtown St. Petersburg, aren't happy with the condition of Al Lang Stadium:

In a letter to the city, Rowdies officials describe Al Lang Stadium as
“dilapidated” and complain that the St. Petersburg Baseball Commission,
a nonprofit group that manages the stadium, is failing to maintain the
venue as required in its contract.Complaints include mold in locker rooms, air-conditioning
problems, weeds on the field, litter and debris in the dugouts and
inadequate stadium lighting. Some 600 stadium seats are broken or
“hazardous,” the letter states. Even the field mower is not working
properly....The letter, written by Rowdies attorney Wes Bailey, also hints
that the team could move elsewhere if the commission and the city do
not commit to stadium improvements....Commission Director Steve Nadel said he was surprised at the
aggressiveness of the letter. Other professional sports teams who
recently used the stadium, including the Toronto Blue Jays, were happy
with it, he said.

“The negative parts directed at us are false and untrue,” he
said. “Other groups that have been there play at a higher professional
level than the Rowdies.”

One interesting connection here is that the right-hand man to Rowdies owner Edwards is former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker, who created the ABC Coalition in 2008 to explore a long-term solution to the Rays' stadium situation. If there's anybody who knows what St. Pete can - and will - do to make a pro team happy, it's these Baker & Edwards.